Straits Primary School, Dudley
Straits Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Dudley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 23 schools in Dudley with published results, and 2,629th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dudley (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Straits Primary School in detail
Straits Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are pleased to welcome you and your family as members of our school community and look forward to a happy and successful association. We are a larger than average primary school located in Lower Gornal and we are constantly striving to offer the very best education for our children."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Straits Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 75% in Dudley and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 88% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Straits Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 56 families put Straits Primary School as their first choice and 121 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Straits Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Straits Primary School are Red Hall Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 48% reading, 48% maths); Cotwall End Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 77% reading, 82% maths); Roberts Primary School (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 66% maths); and St Chad's Catholic Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 97% reading, 97% maths).
Straits Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Red Hall Primary SchoolCotwall End Primary SchoolRoberts Primary SchoolSt Chad's Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
7.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (92%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 58 pupils (14.1%) received SEN support and 2 (0.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Coseley Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Milton Crescent (adjacent), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Straits Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 83 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dudley (212).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Straits Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Straits Primary School are Ellowes Hall Sports College (0.5 miles) and The Dormston School (1.3 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Straits Primary excels at building reading skills from the start through a carefully structured phonics approach with books matched to learning. The school creates a safe, happy environment where pupils behave well and feel valued, and offers a wonderful range of after-school clubs and trips that make learning exciting and enriching. Strong leadership and caring staff ensure your child is well prepared for secondary school.
Key Strengths
- Structured approach to early reading and phonics with well-matched reading books that children use regularly at home and school
- Strong focus on teaching important knowledge that helps pupils understand later learning, with regular revisiting of key concepts
- Rich range of after-school clubs and trips that enhance classroom learning and introduce pupils to new activities
- Effective safeguarding with staff quick to report concerns and follow them up promptly
- Ambitious leadership that is well-informed, supportive and has a clear vision for improvement
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment in some foundation subjects needs further development to ensure all pupils have opportunities to revisit and embed crucial content
- Some classroom activities and resources do not focus enough on what all pupils need to know or do not provide sufficient practice
- Need to develop adaptive teaching approaches so that all pupils learn the same things and can achieve even more across the whole curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff quick to report concerns, prompt follow-up from leaders, and teaching pupils about safe, respectful relationships.
Extracurricular Activities
Choir, sports, crafts, yoga, trips to enrich learning, pupil-led committees, house captain roles, play leader roles
Straits Primary School is a good school where pupils benefit from a broad curriculum, strong leadership, and a safe, caring environment. School life is packed with interesting learning opportunities and enrichment activities that help pupils prepare well for secondary school.
At a Glance
7.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 93% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 82% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
29.1
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Straits Primary School
School Fete - 'Beach Party'
21 May 2026
Thursday 7th - School Closed - polling day
7 May 2026
Easter Discos
26 Mar 2026
Red Nose Day
20 Mar 2026
Parents' Evenings
10 Feb 2026
Book Fair
9 Feb 2026
From Straits Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Straits Primary School
Term dates
Straits Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Dudley. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Straits Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Straits Primary School is in Dudley; for families living there:
- How to apply: Apply for Education Travel Support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Dudley is 18 (the median across 118 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Straits Primary School
Will you get a place at Straits Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Straits Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Straits Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Straits Primary School.
- Dudley publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Straits Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Straits Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Dudley got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
414 pupils
420 places
6 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dudley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dudley
Across Dudley council
Places available
3,812
Applications
3,314
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All primary applications across Dudley council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
58
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
14.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
410
Total Pupils
230
Boys
180
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,756
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,025
Per pupil
£2254k
Total funding
£44k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.7%
Overall absence
9.2%
Persistent absence
358
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Straits Primary School
Questions parents ask about Straits Primary School
What are SATs results like at Straits Primary School?
Of the pupils at Straits Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Straits Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Straits Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Straits Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Straits Primary School is oversubscribed, Dudley allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Straits Primary School?
Straits Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Straits Primary School?
Classes at Straits Primary School average 29.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Straits Primary School?
Straits Primary School has around 410 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Straits Primary School?
4.7% of sessions were missed at Straits Primary School in 2024/25. 9.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Straits Primary School?
Apply through Dudley's coordinated admissions process, naming Straits Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Straits Primary School's term dates?
Straits Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Dudley. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Straits Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Dudley is 18 (the median across 118 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Straits Primary School?
Straits Primary School is at Longfellow Road, Lower Gornal, Dudley, West Midlands, DY3 3EE.
Sources: Dudley term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)